This tribe was hostile and antagonistic which provoked anger from the Southern Kalingas and resulted to tribal wars. Soon, an epidemic followed which almost wiped out the Gamonang tribe. The survivors fled to the hills bordering the provinces of Isabela and the old Mt. Since then, the valley became a “No Man’s Land” and was left to deers, wild hogs, wild horses, wild dogs and wild carabaos. Repopu
lation began shortly before the First World War. The American government sent six volunteer pioneers from sitio Tobog and Lubuagan to re-inhabit the place. The Lubuagan natives died of malaria, which left only the settlers from Tobog to continue to till the soil at Laya. They were later joined by their relatives from Tobog. Between 1922 and 1923, the second group of settlers came from Bontoc and decided to settle then formed a colony at barangay Bantay. Another group from Bontoc and Cervantes, Ilocos Sur was brought to Tuga and was supplied with necessary farm tools including mosquito nets and kitchen utensils. Their success inspired the settlers to cross the Chico River and moved eastward right into the heart of the valley. They were then followed by migrants from La Union. Malaria casualties continuously depleted the number of these pioneers but they held on. In the early 1930s, the dawn of the new era for the town began with the coming of the Bureau of Lands Survey Party. Four groups of municipal executives held reign before Tabuk became a regular municipality on June 16, 1950 pursuant to Republic Act 533, an Act of Congress. The road networks connecting Tabuk to the Cagayan Valley and to Baguio via Bontoc brought in more settlers and investments which fast tracked the economic development of the town. The economy was purely agro-based and was doubly hastened by the completion of the Chico River Irrigation System. The establishment of banks gave credit opportunities and business started to bloom. Cooperatives were organized, schools were put up and bus terminals were established. The name of the valley came from the word “Tobog,” the name of a living stream with cool and fresh water flowing from sitio Paligatto in barangay Balawag down to the Chico River. The areas traversed by this stream were also called Tobog. The name later on evolved to the term Tabuk. Tabuk is now a fifth class city with an income of P110, 414,133.00 in 2007. It is prominently considered as the rice granary of the Cordillera due mainly of agriculture getting the largest area from the pie of which the bulk of production is on rice where it even supplies other places. The city has also produced outstanding farmers at the national level for the last two decades. The city is also the site of the proposed Regional Agro-Industrial Center which aims to further develop the city and make it the agro-industrial center of the region.
